Disk Brake With Guard Screen
A disk brake for a vehicle having a bracket which is fixed with respect to the vehicle and on which brake linings and at least one brake caliper are mounted so as to be movable in an axial direction is disclosed. The bracket and the brake caliper engage around at least one brake disk, and the brake caliper includes a housing limb with at least one actuating device, a further housing limb with at least one housing finger, and a housing bridge. A spring arrangement which generates an elastic preload between the brake caliper and the bracket is provided in such a way that the preload is aligned substantially perpendicular to a movement direction of the brake caliper. The spring arrangement comprises a spring element and a protective panel.
This application is the U.S. national phase application of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2007/054474, filed May 9, 2007, which claims priority to German Patent Application No.: DE102006022699.2, filed May 12, 2006 and German Patent Application No.: DE102006025304.3, filed May 31, 2006, the contents of such applications being incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a disk brake having a protective panel, having a bracket which is fixed with respect to the vehicle and on which brake linings and at least one brake caliper are mounted so as to be movable in an axial direction, with the bracket and the brake caliper engaging around at least one brake disk, and with the brake caliper having a housing limb with at least one actuating device, a further housing limb with at least one housing finger, and a housing bridge, having a spring arrangement which generates an elastic preload between the brake caliper and the bracket, in such a way that the preload is aligned substantially perpendicular to a movement direction of the brake caliper, and with the spring arrangement comprising a spring element and a protective panel.
2. Background of the Invention
Disk brakes on vehicles are subjected to very high loading on account of their proximity to the road surface and as a result of numerous factors, and must therefore be of extremely robust design. Particularly loose objects on the road surface may cause sensitive impact marks on the individual components of the brake, such that under some circumstances, said components become damaged or non-functional. Furthermore, it is increasingly important for customers to known that they have a visually appealing and harmonized and compact brake installed on the vehicle. EP 1 227 260 A2 discloses a disk brake which has a spring arrangement with a spring element and a cover. Here, the spring element performs the primary function of fixing the sliding-caliper-side brake lining. The cover is connected to the spring element in such a way that said cover serves for the axial support of the spring arrangement on the brake caliper. This necessitates an awkward design of the cover.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the invention to specify a disk brake which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and which provides an improved alternative, in particular by means of expedient coverage of the components of the disk brake.
The object is achieved according to aspects of the invention by means of the invention described herein, in that the housing finger, the spring element and the protective panel are arranged axially with respect to one another in such a way that the spring element is positioned between the housing finger and the protective panel. The protective panel thus functions as a caliper panel and advantageously covers a significant part of the spring arrangement. Here, the disk brake is particularly well protected if the caliper panel covers a significant part of the brake caliper.
One advantageous development of the invention comprises that the spring arrangement is fixed to the brake caliper by means of a fastening device, since in this way, a spacing between the caliper panel and brake caliper is constant, and the components cannot collide with one another. As a result, wear of the brake linings does not lead to a movement of the protective panel.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the spring arrangement is fixed to the bracket by fastening means, wherein the spring element may be formed in multiple parts from a spring piece and a support element.
Alternatively, the spring element may be attached to the caliper panel in such a way that the force flow of the preload Fv runs, in sections, through the caliper panel.
In order to protect the components of the disk brake in a particularly effective and complete manner, it is proposed that a bracket panel be provided which is fixedly connected to the bracket. The positive effect is particularly pronounced if the bracket panel serves, in interaction with the caliper panel, as a multi-part protective panel, and covers a significant part of the disk brake.
An alternative solution to the problem relates to a disk brake having a bracket, which is fixed with respect to the vehicle, and having a brake caliper, with at least two brake linings being mounted in the disk brake so as to be movable in an axial direction, and with the brake caliper engaging around at least one brake disk which can be acted on axially by the brake linings, and with the brake caliper having a housing limb with at least one actuating device and a housing bridge, and also comprising at least one protective panel. The object stated above is achieved here in an alternative manner by means of the features disclosed hereinafter in that the protective panel is provided on the disk brake in such a way that most of the brake disk is covered.
Here, the protective panel may expediently either serve as a caliper panel and be fixed to the brake caliper by means of a fastening device, or be embodied as a bracket panel and be fixed to the bracket by fastening means. Both variants have proven to be advantageous and serve for the protection and visual harmonization of the disk brake. It is also conceivable for the bracket panel and the caliper panel to function in combination as a protective panel.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the protective panel of the disk brake is produced from plastic. The use of plastic provides a high level of corrosion resistance and cost-effective production of the protective panel.
Furthermore, the spring element of the spring arrangement may be arranged at least partially in the material of the caliper panel, as a result of which that region of the spring element which is enclosed by plastic is stiffened. This may be implemented for example by means of a simple injection-molding process.
In order to exchange the caliper panel quickly and easily on the vehicle, and to renew the protection and appearance of the brake, the spring element and the caliper panel may be connected by means of a form-fitting and detachable mechanism.
These and other aspects of the invention are illustrated in detail by way of the embodiments and are described with respect to the embodiments in the following, making reference to the Figures.
The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing. Included in the drawing are the following figures:
-
- b) and c) showing in each case one refinement of the spring element,
The disk brake in
The disk brake 51 illustrated in
With regard to
The variants of a spring arrangement shown in
An additional embodiment of a spring arrangement 85 is illustrated in
The caliper panel 87 is preferably integrally cast on the spring element 86. Also conceivable are detachable connecting methods, such as for example a clip mechanism. Instead of the wire, the spring element 86 may, as in the previous exemplary embodiments, be shaped from a metal sheet.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it will be understood that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1.-14. (canceled)
15. A disk brake for a vehicle comprising:
- a protective panel having a bracket which is fixed with respect to the vehicle and on which brake linings and at least one brake caliper are mounted so as to be movable in an axial direction, wherein the bracket and the brake caliper engage around at least one brake disk;
- said brake caliper having a housing limb with at least one actuating device, a further housing limb with at least one housing finger, and a housing bridge; and
- a spring arrangement which generates an elastic preload between the brake caliper and the bracket such that the preload is aligned substantially perpendicular to a movement direction of the brake caliper, wherein the spring arrangement comprises a spring element and the protective panel,
- wherein the housing finger, the spring element and the protective panel are arranged axially with respect to one another such that the spring element is positioned between the housing finger and the protective panel,
- wherein the protective panel serves as a caliper panel and covers most of the spring arrangement.
16. The disk brake as claimed in claim 15, wherein the caliper panel covers most of the housing finger of the brake caliper.
17. The disk brake as claimed claim 15, wherein the spring arrangement is fixed to the brake caliper by a fastening device.
18. The disk brake as claimed in claim 15, wherein the spring arrangement is fixed to the bracket by fastening means.
19. The disk brake as claimed in claim 15, wherein the spring element is formed in multiple parts from a spring piece and a support element.
20. The disk brake as claimed in claim 15, wherein the spring element is attached to the caliper panel such that a force flow of a preload (Fv) runs, in sections, through the caliper panel.
21. The disk brake as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a bracket panel fixedly connected to the bracket.
22. The disk brake as claimed in claim 21, wherein the bracket panel interacts with the caliper panel, serves as a multi-part protective panel and covers a significant part of the disk brake.
23. A disk brake for a vehicle comprising:
- a brake caliper;
- a bracket fixed with respect to the vehicle;
- at least two brake linings being mounted in the disk brake so as to be movable in an axial direction, wherein the brake caliper engages around at least one brake disk which can be acted on axially by the brake linings;
- the brake caliper having a housing limb with at least one actuating device and a housing bridge; and
- at least one protective panel provided on the disk brake such that most of the brake disk is covered.
24. The disk brake as claimed in claim 23, wherein the protective panel is embodied as a bracket panel and is fixed to the bracket by fastening means.
25. The disk brake as claimed in claim 23, wherein the protective panel is formed from plastic.
26. The disk brake as claimed in claim 23, wherein the protective panel serves as a caliper panel and is fixed to the brake caliper by a fastening device.
27. The disk brake as claimed in claim 26, wherein the caliper panel is formed from plastic and wherein the spring element of the spring arrangement is arranged at least partially in the material of the caliper panel.
28. The disk brake as claimed in claim 27, wherein the spring element and the caliper panel are connected by a form-fitting and detachable mechanism.
Type: Application
Filed: May 9, 2007
Publication Date: Jun 18, 2009
Patent Grant number: 8307957
Inventors: Stefan Heinz (Eppstein), Christoph Sander (Erzhausen), Uwe Bach (Niedernhausen), Ralf Sundheim (Frankfurt/M), Roberto Stoka (Schwalbach)
Application Number: 12/300,153
International Classification: F16D 55/226 (20060101); F16D 65/092 (20060101);